Downsized from motorhome to campervan. (1 Viewer)

[mikeandmary]

Hi Funsters, we have recently downsized from a 2009, 2 berth, Swift Bessacarr E520 to a 3 berth, 2013 Autocruise Accent Campervan. Anyone done something similar, one way or the other, and would like to share your opinions. Speaking personally, and having only been on one 3 day trip, we love it. Our main reason for the change was that having used the Bessacarr for four years, we found that it did not tick all the boxes for us. We wanted travel seats, a fixed bed or the option of same and somewhere to sit and eat without the need to put up a table every time. The Autocruise gives us those options and more. Automatic gearbox, (it's the Fiat model), and it's not quite as long at 6m but a lot narrower and easier for this old boy to manage, especially on narrower roads. There are other advantages as well, but we would love to hear from some of you, so get threading.

 

[MikeD]

Yup - we did something similar. Went from a 7.1mtr Autotracker to a 6.35mtr PVC

Love the PVC, comfortable driving in the mountains and village of Spain but a bit tight to squeeze down the middle.

We have learnt to walk like a crab.

We have a end lounge and have to make the beds every night but don't really have a problem with it.

 

[Tribbtravs]

Hi
Yep we downsized from compass castaway to pvc 7 years ago, and would never go back. We love it! Great for getting about and very stealth-like. Go skiing in it as well,no probs.
Have traverse bed and front dinette, made our table smaller as space is without doubt at a premium in a pvc.
We too have learnt to walk sideways, however we are both quite small which is a help. We do find our bed too big to be honest but The underneath space is fab.
Helen

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[mikebeaches]

We have a 6.36m Rapido V68 van with fixed twin beds - changed last year from a 6m Chausson coachbuilt ( Flash S2) which had a fixed French bed.

Although we really liked the coachbuilt - owned for five years from new - and travelled all over in it, we prefer the pvc, which has the comfortmatic semi-auto gearbox.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Best thing we ever did.
Because Ralph converted ours he built it to our spec and quality control.
We’ve much more storage than our big 6/7 birth old motorhome. Because he put the gas water and waste under the van , so there’s nothing taking up valuable cupboard space. It’s also been fitted with better insulation , more work surface , better quality fixtures and fittings etc. The only compromise we feel we made was downsizing the bathroom . The big one had a bathroom across the back with a separate shower cubicle. Pug as we call our PVC has a wet room.
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/rb-panel-van-conversion-begins.100614/

 

[Neckender]

Quite a few on here have downsized to a panel van conversion, we downsized in April this year from a Auto Sleeper Broadway to a Globecar Campscout 636 metre.
We have now had quite a few week ends away and a 6 week trip to Benidorm, our van has a massive double bed or twin singles and a cavernous storage area beneath the bed.
I used to tow a trailer with my other coachbuilt vans but with the PVC we didn’t need a tow bar or the trailer.
We have now done 5,500 miles since April and the more we use the van the more we love it.
We will never go back to a coachbuilt again.

John.

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[sylvester1954]

Didnt downsize but we did buy the Autocruise Accent and it was a great introduction to panelvan conversions. We only changed it for our present Autosleeper Kingham because we preferred the layout within the Kingham rather than the Accent due to the wonderfully comfortable fixed bed.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

@Tribbtravs Is that a Border Terrier in your avatar ??

Nice looking van BTW

Ralph

 

[Kingham]

As per my signature, started with an 8.67m tag axle Bessie, downsized to 7.71m Bolero and earlier this year, downsized again to a 6.34m Auto-Sleeper.

Like @sylvester1954 the layout of the Kingham, with its fixed bed, made the final decision for me.

Internal storage is a bit of a compromise, but only because of the amount of kayak gear I carry around with me and I use a 'drive away' awning quite a lot, for somewhere to dry the dog off and store my wet gear after a day on the water.

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[lorger]

We did similar at the start of last year and haven't regretted it, our last van was 7.5M long and the PVC is 6.4. Yes we've made compromises and at first we thought have we done the right thing, the answer is 100% yes. Right now its the idea van for us, will that change in the future who knows .

 

[Tribbtravs]

@Tribbtravs Is that a Border Terrier in your avatar ??

Nice looking van BTW

Ralph

Yes it sure is, here he is in the van. He's coming skiing with us for the first time this year!

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

What a beaut!
This is Buster , he’s 10 this year. He’s lost his dark muzzle now.

Looking for wabbits in the Cairngorms a couple of years ago

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[EX51SSS]

I'm trying to work out what what constitutes a Motorhome and a Campervan?
Is it the size, type, model, make, height, length, fixtures and fittings, gearbox type?
I accept the differences between Motorhomes and RV 's but aren't Motorhomes Campervan under a personal choice of name and aren't Campervans, Motorhomes?
The reason I ask is because of the OP's title of' downsizing from a Motorhome to a Campervan'.

 

[mikeandmary]

Great question and worthy of a sensible response. All I can say is that we have only had this vehicle for a couple of months and, not sure how to refer to it, a PVC, motorhome or campervan. Our previous vehicle, a Bessacarr E520 was definitely a coach built motorhome. My daughter and her partner have a T5 which they refer to as a campervan, however. I think I will give further thought to your question, and thanks for it.

 

[Munchie]

We came down from a 7 metre A class to a 6 metre Font Vendome panel van and love it!

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[EX51SSS]

Great question and worthy of a sensible response. All I can say is that we have only had this vehicle for a couple of months and, not sure how to refer to it, a PVC, motorhome or campervan. Our previous vehicle, a Bessacarr E520 was definitely a coach built motorhome. My daughter and her partner have a T5 which they refer to as a campervan, however. I think I will give further thought to your question, and thanks for it.

Thank you. It's just I didn't know whether there is a difference.
AFAIK, there are classes within the group of Campervan/motorhome.
A class
Coach built
Pvc.
Irrespective of whether there is an inside toilet or shower (or hot tub), it's intriguing to see what people consider theirs as and what they consider other people's vehicle.

 

[funflair]

Thank you. It's just I didn't know whether there is a difference.
AFAIK, there are classes within the group of Campervan/motorhome.
A class
Coach built
Pvc.
Irrespective of whether there is an inside toilet or shower (or hot tub), it's intriguing to see what people consider theirs as and what they consider other people's vehicle.

To me a Campervan and a PVC would be the same, keeping the VAN body makes it a CamperVAN to me.

Martin

 

[EX51SSS]

To me a Campervan and a PVC would be the same, keeping the VAN body makes it a CamperVAN to me.

Martin

Fair comment

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[maison]

We “downsized” on 2nd December this year, to a Swift Select 144 PVC from a Swift Esprit 454 coachbuilt as Mrs Maison wasn’t confident driving the bigger vehicle.

Since then we have now covered 1,248 miles, mainly on a trip to Belgium and France. We have found it great to drive, much less harsh suspension than the coachbuilt and very few rattles.

Being smaller it is much easier to heat up quickly in cold weather, it was zero or thereabouts throughout our recent trip. It is very well equipped and we love it, being quite sure that we have made the right decision.

Our only reservation is that we have a GSD/Border Collie Cross who is rather large. During the winter, when she wants to be inside, we will have to manoeuvre around her. In better weather she prefers to be outside, watching the world go by. In any case she loves the experience of being away in the m/h and sits by the door when she sees the final items going in just in case she is “left behind”.

 

[SpeedyDux]

We upsized! From a 4.8m T4 to a 5.4m PVC with a transverse fixed bed.

It's a miracle of space utilisation to get full facilities into such a short Van, but the layout means there isn't much floor space or lounging room. Very cosy. We don't mind breathing in to squeeze past each other.

So far, neither of us has caught cabin fever.

 

[Minxy]

We got our first 'modern' campervan in 2012 - an Autocruise Accent (manual version)! Great vehicle, great storage and if you leave the bed made-up loads of it! I did quite a few changes to ours to make it suit us even more, such as putting in a smaller table, shelves in the wardrobe to use it as a larder etc which I put on the forum (have a search on here for 'Autocruise Accent' and my user ID). It was the width that made all the difference as it was the same length as our previous MH (Chausson Flash 04) ... being narrower it was much less stressful to drive especially with the places we go to where you wouldn't have got a normal coachbuilt to, not even a narrow one. We changed it just over 2 years ago for a Globecar FamilyScout L which is a bit longer but very similar layout with a longer L shaped settee and central shower.

We find it heats up quicker than a MH as there's less 'wasted' space high up and retains the heat much better and it feels lovely and snug, it really comes into it's own in warmer weather though ... having the sliding door wide open and the rear doors is wonderful! I can't see us ever going back to a coachbuilt for a long, long time, if ever!

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[Dorwyn]

There's been a positive and encouraging response from these downsizers. We've never owned a coachbuilt to compare, but came up from smaller campervans. So to us, our 6 metre van is huge. Yes, it's easy to fill it up with stuff, but I can't say that storage is a problem.

Together with friends also with pvcs we attended some single-make rallies (mostly with 6-wheeelers) and some of the other ralliers have disdainfully referred to our vans as "those little things". It didn't make us feel too welcome. Is there snobism in motorhoming, or are we being uber-sensitive?

 

[maison]

There's been a positive and encouraging response from these downsizers. We've never owned a coachbuilt to compare, but came up from smaller campervans. So to us, our 6 metre van is huge. Yes, it's easy to fill it up with stuff, but I can't say that storage is a problem.

Together with friends also with pvcs we attended some single-make rallies (mostly with 6-wheeelers) and some of the other ralliers have disdainfully referred to our vans as "those little things". It didn't make us feel too welcome. Is there snobism in motorhoming, or are we being uber-sensitive?

There is definitely “snobbism” in motorhoming, as in other walks of life.

We have always ignored it and put it down to ignorance of the true facts.

 

[Minxy]

Together with friends also with pvcs we attended some single-make rallies (mostly with 6-wheeelers) and some of the other ralliers have disdainfully referred to our vans as "those little things". It didn't make us feel too welcome. Is there snobism in motorhoming, or are we being uber-sensitive?

Unfortunately you get it with all things in society, so not just restricted to MH/campervan owners although some are pillocks ... it's their loss as they won't be able to take their large beasts to the lovely places us campervan owners can get to so they miss out more than we do!

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[mikeandmary]

Well funsters, considering this was my first post, I could not be more pleased with your excellent responses. It appears that we PVC'ers\campervanners or motorhomers are well pleased with our purchases. Also, it seems some of us are dog lovers and I note that some of us even have border terriers. I just need to figure out how to put 'photos on here, so you can see our Herbert. Any help appreciated.

 

[maison]

@mikeandmary
When you make a post you will see, at the bottom of the window, a button “upload a file”.

Click on this and then choose where to find the file “photos” or wherever. Select the one you want and it should load automatically from there.

Good luck.

 

[mikeandmary]

Excellent, thank you.

Mike

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Well funsters, considering this was my first post, I could not be more pleased with your excellent responses. It appears that we PVC'ers\campervanners or motorhomers are well pleased with our purchases. Also, it seems some of us are dog lovers and I note that some of us even have border terriers. I just need to figure out how to put 'photos on here, so you can see our Herbert. Any help appreciated.

I’m on an iPad.
If you click on upload a file , see below some pics should come up. Click on the ones you want . If you want full sized or thumb nail .

Then your pics will come up like so

Hope you understand it . I’m not that computer savvy myself . I think it’s the same with a laptop too and phone .

Oops a bit late ! It took me too long haha

 

[mikeandmary]

@Ralph-n-Bev

Impressive, I will get my head round it eventually and thank you.

Mike

 

[Christoph]

We went the other way from a VW T5 camper to a 7.5m low profile coach built with fixed island bed, large garage, fixed dining table and 4 travelling seats. Never looked back!

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